Fuel for thought - City's Energy and Transport Research Centre

The fundamental physical processes related to the efficiency of fuel and transportation systems, compression machines and combustion engines are the three cornerstones of the cutting-edge research undertaken by City’s Energy and Transport Research Centre.

Established in 2001 by Professor Dinos Arcoumanis, the City Energy and Transport Centre's core activity is research into internal combustion engines and, in particular, the fluid dynamics in fuel injection systems, the fuel spray mixing and in-cylinder flow and combustion processes for both gasoline and diesel engines. Developments in this area have been summarised in Flow and Combustion in Reciprocating Engines (2009. Springer-Verlag), co-edited by Professors Arcoumanis and Kamimoto of the Institute of Technologists, Japan. Professor Arcoumanis is also the founder of the International Journal of Engine Research.

The Centre undertakes both experimental and computational work. The former is focused on application of laser diagnostics in optical engines and fuel systems, while the latter is concerned with the development of advanced computational fluid dynamics codes that are used to predict the extent and intensity of the cavitation in fuel injectors.

The Centre has attracted more than £2.5 million of industrial funding over the last 15 years from businesses including Nissan, Toyota, MAN B&W, BMW and Siemens Automotive, Caterpillar UK, Caterpillar Fuel Systems and Delphi Diesel Systems. This support has allowed the development of some of the most advanced computation models used by Research and Development departments worldwide.

Professor Manolis Gavaises, the Director of the Energy and Transport Centre, says:

Our work on cavitation has resulted in findings that have influenced the design of mechanical components where cavitation takes place. The team has been the first to perform pioneering experiments and validate the developed models.

In 2011 the Centre, in partnership with TU Delft and Loughborough University, was awarded £1.3 million by the Lloyd's Register Educational Trust to support the establishment of the International Institute for Cavitation Research with headquarters at City.

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